Saturday, November 1, 2014

Palmetto XC

I've never really been an athlete (I can hear your gasps of shock now). Being a part of a team wasn't ever something I really experienced to the fullest. But this year. This year was different.

Some of our sweet seniors at the banquet.

I began running a couple of years ago. Last summer, I ran some with the cross country kids but my work schedule prevented me from doing much. This year, though, I was on the school schedule. Micah let me join in and help him by focusing on the JV kids.

I have fallen in love and become such a fan of this family. I've loved running for the past two years and the ability to love on, help develop, and push these kids has just made it even better.

So many of our kids exceeded goals that we had set. We wanted to make state and do well in region. Our boys ended up winning region and our girls were runners up.

My JV kids pushed harder and ran PR after PR. I couldn't have asked for a harder-working bunch.

Our varsity kids were beyond wonderful, and we still have the state race to go.

I've been so blessed by working closely with Micah, Melissa, and my dad. It's amazing the amount of work, dedication, and devotion that goes into this process. It really is a labor of love.

What I've admired and grown to love most, though, is the family that we are. Parents, close friends, siblings, and athletes all have such camaraderie. It is so fun to join together under the big red tents and just hang out.

We act serious and work hard, but we always have a good time.

I have so loved being able to do what I love with an amazing group of young people. My sisters both run and I have never been prouder. Morgan and Mackenzie have produced results far beyond what we expected. Morg fights the battle of youth, exhaustion, and humility, and does it with grace. She is our number one runner and is truly coming into her own. Mack has faught injuries and the lack of motivation, but is one of an elite group of girls to dive into the 20's. I'm so proud of both of their accomplishments!